Can a new B.C. government imagine real economic reconciliation? – The Narwhal

Nov. 20, 2024

What if, instead of clinging to tired frameworks, the government actually used its power to support true justice for Indigenous youth?

On Monday, as the newly elected B.C. cabinet was sworn in, I wondered if this government was up to the task of advancing true and meaningful economic justice for Indigenous people.

It is safe to say the election did not offer much for First Nations voters. The narrow focus of the two major provincial parties this election was on extractive projects as the foundation for the advancement of “economic reconciliation.”

The B.C. Conservatives claimed they would pursue “strategic” land returns, yet their vision for Indigenous Rights and prosperity remained squarely tied to extractive resource industries like LNG. Meanwhile, the B.C. NDP has vocalized more support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), but despite holding power for the past seven years, they have been selective about their Indigenous-led conservation or co-governance initiatives. For example, the BC NDP planned to make an announcement earlier this year about temporarily pausing new mineral claims in the Medizian watershed in northern B.C., but walked it back without explanation. And despite growing evidence that LNG is a risky bet for the economy and the environment, the B.C. NDP has approved several new LNG projects.